459 Clothman Goes to Hell, Part 4
If you’ve been reading my columns during this holiday season you are aware that I chose the warm topic of hell for my advent series. What? Doesn’t everyone talk about hell while roasting chestnuts on an open fire?
The response has been staggering. I suppose the tiny fact that I said I no longer believe in a literal, eternal hell had something to do with the avalanche of mail (equally divided between pro and con).
Several literal hell folks strongly urged me to keep my beliefs about hell to myself. Unless I’m teaching their view of hell, they said, I’m not only deceived, but I’ve become a deceiver. But those who don’t believe in a literal hell could say the same thing. So apparently I should continue, as I had for several years, and say nothing.
No, the time had arrived to come out. Why? First, because I honestly can’t find the hell I believed in and defended for 25 years. The sad fact is I had never studied hell for myself. I just assumed what I was told was true. It wasn’t.
I still believe in evil, sin, faith and judgment; and that every human is in need of a Savior. I believe that only Jesus can save us from sin and give us life. But I also believe Paul when he says, “For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” And, “This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.” (1 Corinthians 15:22; 1 Timothy 4:10)
Second. Just as David got ticked off at Goliath for calling God bad names, I don’t like it when people say bad things about God. Like, for example, that he is going to eternally torture most of humanity because they didn’t get it right here on earth. If I did that to my kids I’d rightfully be locked up. God punishes sin, but not like a divine maniac. God’s punishments are redemptive, not punitive – like any loving parent is with their children.
But mostly, I came out because I wanted to start a healthy, public dialogue where there currently is none. People are more polarized about hell than the Yankees. If you don’t believe me, just read my mail. This is also the reason why I purposefully came out about hell at Christmas.
Jesus came to bring peace between God and humans; a peace that would translate into people loving one another. Yet 2000 years later the world is still filled with division and violence – much of it over religious views. Regarding hell, for example, Christians constantly fight and divide over something that no one but God really knows for certain.
Yes it’s true, Clothman isn’t positive that his views about hell are right – especially since I thought I was right all those years that I defended a literal hell. I have since learned that God calls me be to be kind more than right. And if I’m not being kind then I’m probably not right.
This Christmas, could we promote peace on earth by practicing good will toward all people, including those who do not believe the way we do? Could we value charity over correctness and people over doctrine? Could we, for example, have a healthy dialogue about hell?
This would please Jesus.
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